Habits that negate teeth brushing

Brushing your teeth is vital to maintaining your oral hygiene and overall health, but you already know that. However, some habits that we may have adopted over time may negate teeth brushing altogether.

Here are some mistakes you probably make and don’t even realize that make visits to the dentist more frequent than expected:

Brushing your teeth immediately after eating

If you feel the need to brush your teeth after eating or drinking, wait at least 60 minutes before doing so. Especially if you have eaten something acidic, such as lemons and grapefruits or drank soda.

Drink water or chew a sugar-free chewing gum with fluoride to clean your mouth while you wait for time to pass.

You should also avoid rinsing your mouth with water after brushing. Just spit out the excess toothpaste and let the fluoride do its job protecting your smile.

Then, wait at least 30 minutes after brushing before drinking water.

Storing your toothbrush improperly

When you have finished brushing your teeth, place your toothbrush upright and let it air dry. Avoid storing your toothbrush in a closed container, where germs are more likely to grow due to heat and prolonged humidity.

You don’t brush your tongue

Your tongue is a container for germs. And more often than not, it’s the real cause of bad breath.

When you’re done brushing your teeth, use a tongue scraper to clean your tongue or brush your tongue with your toothbrush.

This will reduce the number of germs in your mouth and improve the smell of your breath.

You are using the wrong brushing technique

When you were younger, you usually had tooth decay at the top of your teeth. That’s why you learned to brush your teeth only in that area.

As adults, however, the most important areas for brushing are along the line of your gums, between your teeth and the back of your teeth.

Here’s a technique you should try for a meticulous brushing: first, place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gums.

Then gently move the brush back and forth with short (tooth-width) movements.

Next, brush the outer surfaces, inner surfaces and chewing surfaces of the teeth, with particular emphasis on the molars.

Finally, to clean the inner surfaces of the front teeth, tilt the toothbrush vertically and perform many up and down movements.

Brushing the same way every time

If you always start by brushing your teeth on the top right and end on the bottom left, there is a good chance that you will miss the same areas every day.

To prevent this, change the pattern with which you brush your teeth. It may take some thought, but it will ensure that all your teeth are cleaned properly.

Using an unsuitable toothbrush

There are many toothbrushes that can leave your teeth fresh and clean, including basic and electric ones.

Try different types until you find one that you are comfortable with. For example, an electric toothbrush can be held more easily and do a lot of the work for you if you have trouble brushing.

Whichever you choose, remember that the toothbrush isn’t everything, since the cleanness of your mouth really depends on you.

Using mouthwash immediately after brushing

Some dentists recommend avoiding the use of mouthwash immediately after brushing.

Most fluoride toothpastes contain about 1450 ppm fluoride, while the mouthwash contains only about 450 ppm, which isn’t enough to fight plaque.

Using a mouthwash immediately after brushing causes you to rinse off some of the fluoride contained in the toothpaste.

If you just can’t break the habit, gargle and spit without stirring the liquid around your teeth.

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